Mining-sluice.



P. BOUERY.

MINING SLUIGE.

APPLICATION rum) MAY 7 1912.

1,036,430. Patented Aug. 20, 1912.

11 1 veza 01',

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO..WASNINGTON. D- a PIERRE BOUERY, 0F WEAVERVILLE, CALIFORNIA.

MINING-SLUICE.

Application filed May 7, 1912.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, PIERRE BoUEnY, a citizen of the United States, residing at lVeaverville, in the county of Trinity and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Mining-Sluices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in mining sluices, and particularly pertains to improvements in that type of mining sluice shown in Patent No. 797,168, issued to me Aug. 15, 1905.

It is the object of this invention to provide a mining sluice for the purpose of saving valuable and precious minerals while allowing the rocks, boulders and various heavy materials to escape, and which consists primarily of a series of transverse bars disposed a short distance above the bottom of the sluice box.

The principal object of this invention is to provide means for mounting the bars in the sluice box so that they are interchangeable.

A further object is to provide a sluice box in which the transverse rails on the bottom thereof are formed in sections so constructed and arranged as to have'end sect-ions adjacent the sides of the sluice, and middle sections independent of the side sections, which middle sections are designed to be removed and replaced so that when the middle sections become worn they may be removed and replaced without necessitating the 're placing of a rail the full length of the sluice, it being well known that the central portion of the rails are subject to more wear than the end port-ions.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists of the parts and the construction and combination of parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical section of my sluice box. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of same. Fig. 3 is a detail in plan showing a modified form of the invention. Fig. 4 is a detail in perspective of the notched rail engaging bar. Fig. 5 is a detail vertical section on the line XX of Fig. 2,showing the manner of spacing the transverse bars. Fig. 6 is a detail in plan showing a modified form of the bar spacing means.

In the drawings the sluice is shown as having a flat bottom A and approximately Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented A11 20, 1912.

Serial No. 695,790.

vertical sides B supported by stout sills and vertical timbers and braces. Extending transversely across the bottom A of the sluice are wooden ritlles 2, which are made of any thickness and depth to form the necessary interspaces for the reception of the material to be saved. Supported upon the tops of these riflies are iron bars 3 and 4, which in the present case are shown in the form of railroad rails, the base flanges of which rest upon the riflie timbers 2. The bars 3 extend transversely across the central port-ion of the sluice and terminate a short distance from the sides thereof; the bars 4 constituting fillers extending between the ends of the bars 3 and the sides B of the sluice.

The essence of this invention resides in the means for mounting the rails 3 and 4 in the bottom of the sluice. This means is here shown as consisting of longitudinally extending bars 5 which are positioned between the ends of the rails 3 and the inner ends of the rails 4, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. The bars 5 are formed of laminated plates, as shown in Fig. 4, the vertical edges of which are formed with notches 6 which are adapted to engage the web portions of the rails 3 and 4 in such manner as to lock the rails in position. The notches 6 on op posite sides of the bars 5 are preferably staggered in relation to each other, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, so that when the rails 3 and 4 are placed in position in the bottom of the sluice they will be staggered in relation to each other, as shown in Fig. 2. It is manifest, however, that the notches 6 on the opposite sides of the bars 5 may be opposed so as to position the rails 3 and 4 in alinement with each other if desired, as shown in Fig. 3. The rails 3 being of considerable length, are spaced apart at their centers, in any suitable manner; lateral projections 7 carried by the rails 3 and adapted to abut against the projections on the adjacent rails, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, being provided for this purpose.

It is obvious that any other means of spacing the rails 3 may be employed, if desired; Fig. 6 illustrating another method of so doing, which consists in providing spacing blocks 8 which are placed between the adjacent rails 3 and are secured thereto by means of bolts 9, which extend lengthwise through the blocks 8 and are connected to the webs of the rails 3.

The outer ends of the rails 4 may be connected to the sides B of the sluice in any suitable manner, being here shown as held in place by means of rails 10 laid on their sides with their base flanges secured against the sides B of the sluice with the outer portion of the rail resting upon the inner ends of the rails 4, as shown in Fig. 1. Above the rails 10 are lining-blocks 11, which are fitted against the sides B of the sluice to such a height that they will protect the sides from the wear of the passing rocks. These lining-blocks 11 and the rails 10 may be removed and replaced at will so as to admit of the rails 3 and 4 being removed and replaced as desired. The outer ends of the rails 4c are spaced apart by means of notched bars 12, which are supported upon spacing blocks separating the rifiies 2.

When the rails 3 become worn sufficiently 'to necessitate their being replaced by new rails, the blocks 11, rail 10, notched bar 12, and the short end rails 4 are removed, thereby allowing the notched bar 5 to be disengaged from the rail 3 and admitting of the removal of the worn rails and the insertion of new rails. By this construction it is not necessary to insert rails the length of the width of the sluice box, thereby reducing the cost of up-keep.

Having thus described my invention, what- I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The combination of a sluice, spaced notched bars extending longitudinally along the sluice, transversely disposed T-rails between said bars endwise abutting the same and having their webs engaged by the notches in the bars, spacing members carried by the T-rails intermediate the lengths thereof, and filler bars parallel with the rails and extending between the notched bars and the sides of the sluice and engaged by the notched bars.

2. The combination of a sluice, spaced notched bars extending longitudinally along the same, transversely disposed T-rails between said bars endwise abutting the same and having their webs engaged by the notches in saidbars, spacing members carried by the T-rails intermediate the lengths thereof, filler bars parallel with the rails and extending between the notched bars and the sides of the sluice and engaged by the notched bars, and means for attaching the ends of the filler bars to the sides of the v sluice.

3. The combination of a sluice, spaced notched bars extending longitudinally along the same, transversely disposed T-rails between said bars endwise abutting the same and having their webs engaged by the notches in said bars, spacing members carried by the T-rails intermediate the lengths thereof, filler bars parallel with the rails and extending between the notched bars and the sides of the sluice and engaged by the notched bars, and means for attaching the ends of the filler bars to the sides of the scribing witnesses.

PIERRE BOUERY. Witnesses:

J OHN W. SHU'rooD, ROBERT L. CARTER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. G. 

